Scaffold and roof bracket



May 2.9',` l1923.

J. B.` F. SHOWALTER SCAFFOLD AND ROOF BRACKET Filed May 11, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 2'9, 1923. 1,456,940

l J. B. F. sHowALTER l scAFFoI'JD AND.HooF BRACKET l Filed May 11, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 29, 1923. i 1,456,940

J. B F. sHowAL'rER SCAFFOLD AND ROOF BRACKET Filed May 11, 1921 s sheets-sheet afg/0.

V KO/V422?? lsition against shifting movementn Patented May 29, 192e.

JAX' B. F. s'How'ALTERQoF PEKIVN,`ILLINoIs.

scAFFoLD AND noon BRAGKET.

Application led May 11,

cof/wem; JAY B. F. SHowAL'rnn, a citizen ofthe-United States', residing at Pekin, in the county of Tazewell and State To all whom t Be it known that useful Improvements in Scaffoldand Roof Brackets, ofwhich the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsfl j This invention relates lto scaffold' and roofbrackets, andv particularly to adjustable roof and scaffold brackets.

The general objects of my inventionare to provide a bracket *having a wide range of usefulness, which may be easily applied and securely 'attached to a building and which, when adjusted, has its parts so locked that it is impossible for the partsto-be accidentally shifted or jarred loose. v j

Afurther and morel specific objectv is to provide a" scaffold bracket of' the character above stated having means whereby the boards which maybe placed upon the bracket may be automaticallylocked in po' And a further object istojprovide-an improved form of lock between the board sup-v porting beams of they bracket and aJ bracel therefor which permits a .ready adjustmentof the board supportingy beams'into any desired angular relation to they supportingl membersl of the 4bracket and which is adapted to be so engaged'with the bracey that accidental shifting of this point `'of enV 'ga 'ement cannot occur.

notlier object is to providek a-bracket` so constructed that the weight ofthe scaffold boards will not come upon the bolts by which the bracket elements are engagedi motion of the bracket when -in use if more weight should fallen .one yor the otherofy the supporting arms or beams, this tilting of the bracket being a very common fault in kbrackets now on the market.

Other objects will appear in the course'of the following description.

My invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein 2+ y Figure 1 is a side elevation 'of my bracket in one'applied .position ;l 'f

FigureQ is a top plan'view of the construction illustrated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a bracket applied as a roof bracket;

.Figurelg lof Illinois, have invented certain new and 1921. seria; No. 468,790.,

1 Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of ari i arm 19 and' sectional 'View of the board lock;v

Figure 5 is a: section Figure 6` isl a fragmentary end' elevationof onefof the arms 19;

on the line 5 5l ofl g eof Figure 7 is a cross :section of -an arm l19 i with the board'lock thereon; f Figure 8 is an elevation of the upper end A of one ofthe 'supporting ymembers 10 showingan arm19 in sect-ion;

F igure'9 isa section on the Figure 1;

F igureV 10 is a bracket..

seen that my improved bracket comprises the upwardly divergent supporting` memn use Q .efafl perspective view of the* Y v7o Referring tothesefdrawings, it will be*- bers 10.y i There are two. ofthese members,

both. of them alike in form. yEachmemberV may be made of any suitable ,material and is preferably angular in cross section so as to provide the 4web llandthejoutwardly projecting; flange 12. -Eachof these: mem-y `bers 10 is angularly bent at theI point 1'3 so tliatin they use'of the device the part 14 lying-above the bend v13 is disposed in` a verticalv position '(see Figure 8),l while the' partsbelowi these bends 13 eXtend'down-"i` wardly and in vdivergenty relation'to leach formed at its uppery endwithi'the upwardly` and inwardly extending ,slots 15 adapted be supported. The' lower end of the `web 11" is formed with a notch 16 orl slot' 5)., The `flange 12 at'its 'lower-'end' is .85 .I other. .The web 12 l of each'member` 10`is Ato engagenails whereby the"bracketvmay .y

(Figureangularly bent, as at 16a, so-asto bedisposed" |bracket is inuse.` This portion 16a is .in approximatelya vertical plane when the Another object is to prevent .any tilting-f formed with a verticallyelongated opening-' 17'for the passagexof'a bolt, whiletheupper a bolt.

bers 10V arel the supporting beams or' arms 19 whichare also angular in .cross section, and at their inner ends have jan elongated opening or slot 20 in the downwardly projecting flange 21 of the arm, whileatk their 'end of the flange v11"isl formed rwith an y Velongated opening 18 for the passage of ri'ngaged with the uppe'r'ends of the mem' I outer ends each flange` 211s formed ,with an.. Y elongated bolt opening 22. 8.a rms* 19 are* connectedv to .the upperiends of the. .membe y 10 by means of headed pins orbo'lts Q23 which are shown as provided with heads on their innerv ends and with cotter pins 24 at their outer ends.y These pins or bolts 23 pivotally connect the arms 21 to the supporting members 10. y

A pin or bolt 25 passes through the elongated apertures 17 at the lower ends of the members 10 and through the medial flange 27 of a brace 28 which is T-shaped in cross section. The brace is connected to the outer ends of the 7arms 19 byy means of a locking device, designated generally 29, and consisting of a body 30. whose upper face is hollowed out and formed with a V-shaped slot- 31, the middle portion ot this 'tf-shaped slot being tapered or growing less in width toward its inner end. This body 30 at its end adjacent to the arms 19 is bifurcated to provide two arms 32 which extend diver-gently with relation to each other, the inner faces of the arms being beveled outward and upward I and the ends of these arms being formed with transverse bolt holes 33. A bolt 34 passes through these apertures and through the elongated aperture 22 in the ends of-'the arms 19, this bolt having a head at one end and a nut 35 at its opposite end. The elongated apertures 22 permit the arms 19 to swing from a parallel position to a divergent position upon the bolt and withv relation to each other. n

The body 30 is provided at its outer end outward of the slot 31 with a downwardly extending lug 3G, through which passes a set` screw37, which, when turned home, engages the outer face of vthe T-shaped brace 28.

Slidingly mounted upon each arm 19 is a board lock, designated 38, which is formed with an angular slot 39 through whichv the angular arm 19 loosely passes. yThe slot 39 is sufficiently larger than the arin 19 to permit a slight rocking'movement of the lock 33 upon the arm. Byireference toFigure d, it will be seen that this'member 38 is upwardly extended, as at 40,`and that this upward extension is bulged outward, as at 41, on both faces and that this bulge is above the upper face of the arm 19. The object of this device is to lock any boards which may b e disposed upon the arms 19 from anyl shifting movement. If the boards strike either face of the lock they will shift the lock to an inclined position, as indicated in Figure 4, and in this position it will bind upon the arm so that the greater the shifting thrust applied to the boards B, the tighter the locking member 38 will hold. When, however,y the strain is taken away from the locking member, it may be readily shifted along the arm 19 to any desired locking position.

In Figure 2 I have illustrated this bracket as applied to three studdings A, A or supports in any building7 house or barn. It will be noted that in this case the bracket is so applied that the upper portions of the vsu ortinfrmembers vr10 enUaee twol of the p 23 C C) studdings A, while the lower ends of the downwardly convergent portions of the supporting member 10 engage with the middle studding A of thethree. `Nails a are driven lintothestuddingand engage in the slots 15,

The'

the boards B so as to hold these boards close"y against the house.

rThe brace 28 is shown as extending upward and outward and as being locked bothby the engagement of the V shaped slot 31 with the flange 27 and by the t engagement of the set'sci'ew37 with the outer face of the brace. Under these circumstances the brace is held rigidly in its angular relation and thesupporting arms 19 are held rigidly in their horizontal position.'

It is to be particularly noted that the horizontal flange of each locking arin19 is supported at one end upon the corner 12?l of the flange 12 and' not upon the bolt or pin 23, and that at its opposite end each arm 19 is supported upon the rounded face 32 of the head forming the end of the arm 32 and not upon the bolt 33 so4V that no strain comes upon either the pin 23 orupon the bolt34, and that the weight on the bracket is transmitted to ythe brace 23 and thus is transmitted by a downward and inward thrust to the middle stud of the three studs illustrated in Figure 1 or to the wall of the building in case this is attached to the outside face ,of

the wall. It will further be noted'that by bending` or-angling the lower end olf the flange 12, as at 16', (Figure 5) the supporting members 10 maybe shifted into different angular relations to eachother, andV that this`v is also permitted by the elongated slots 22 which permit the arms 19 to move into various angular relations to each other.

This angular shifting of the arms 19 with .relation to each other necessitates, of course,

that the pins or bolts 23 shall pass through the elongated slots 20'in order to pei-init these pins to shift intovarious angular relations to the flange 21.

Attention is particularly called to the locking means between the ends of the arms 19 and 'the brace 27 When this locking means 29 is disposed at right angles to the outer flange orweb of the members 27, then this locking device may be shifted readily along' the brace, but when itvis'disposed at an angle to the brace, the locking device automaticallybindsy upon the flange 27 of the brace 28 through the angular slot 31, and the greater they pressure or weight upon the arms 19, they greater this binding action will be. In order,

however, to `prevent any upward movementl on the arms 19 from turning this member 29 into a position at right angles nto, the .brace 28, I have provided the set screw, 37 which,

when itfisturnedhome, locks this bracing memberin place and causes it to bindwith more force upon the T-bar forming the brace 28fso thatno possible jar can displace this locking member 29 and thereby displace or loosen the arms 19.

The board locks 38 may be engagedA against the last board of a series of boards disposed upon the upper l'aces of the arms 19, and when so engaged. will hold these boards firmly inposition againstaccidental movement, as any pressure tending to shift the boards will tend to cause these locks to bind more tightlv u )on the arms 19. nvrinv D u- .l

number of these locks may be used upon the arms 19 so as to hold two or three sets ,ofl boards upon the arms 19 and prevent thesel lboa-rds will engage the protuberant face 41' of theupwardly projecting` Aportion 40 before the board will strike thelocking deviceadjacent vto the slot, and thus the locking device 38 will be instantly locked o r jammed on the supporting arm and is; ,practically` immovable from its locked position so longv as jtheboard bears against it. The locking member 29 when adjusted'is immovable even# with the severest jar, stroke orblow, from either above or below. yIt will take any desired position along the brace bar and may be then locked in engagement with; thebrace, and in its locked position the utmost safety is provided against any slipping or dropping motion and also againstrbeing moved .out of.

place or loosened bybeing struck trombe# neath in handing up lumber or materialsi l e y Furthermore, suchv brackets requiring-"relaA-- from below. i n Myl improved brackety may notfonlyl be used as ascaii'old bracket in the mannerv shown in Figure l, but-may bealso con-i' verted into a roof scaiold bracket.l In Athis case the member 29 is shifted along the brace toward the hinged end of the latter into any position necessary to bring the supporting arms 19 f to a horiontal position.'1 with the supporting members l0 disposed against the roof C, and then the .locking device is' locked` in position and'iirmly vsupports themembers iso adjusted.

Thisbracket, it will be fobvious, maybe adjusted so as" tolconform to any pitch of roof from anreasyv slope to the very highest pitch, and .thus the bracket may be usedby shinglers or by chimneyV masons. 'e lli atroof is shingled, in-zwhichcase ity-is not' desirable to drive nails through the Shingles,

the bracket may be supported on the-roof kby y Wires extending over the comb offth'e, root" e and engaged withthe slots-15,. These wires might be connected to the chimney or torany` suitable part of the roof, or there may be scaffold brackets on opposite sidesof the comb of the yroof to which the wires are connected so that onescaii'old bracket will"- balance the other."

One of the advantages of my bracket isthe ,fact that it may be attached, as illmstrate'd,in

Figure l, to three studings, thus securing three points of support for thefbracketinstead .oil-two, as is usual, thus giving a solid' place (the middle studding) upon which to `support the lower end of the bracket, as,

byy nails'passing through lthev notches 16.l

rllhis does away with the necessityyof having a protruding portion or spike at the bottom of the bracket which cuts or `gouges into thel boards'of the building or the 'roof in` order to ,keepthebracket from moving laterallyiftoo much 'weight be put on ogney a Y sideor the other. It will Abeseen that'myIe, v bracket provides airepair bracket `which will not'mar the outside of the building or roof, f f as is'the case withother makes offsc'affoldy bracketsknownto me.'

Itwill be seen that the upperlend'soi-'the' supportingI membersl 10 are provided with ay plurality of slots 15 vso thata pluralityjofaa relatively smallv nails maybe used to sup-fai .1

port each, member 10, thus doing away with.` f the necessity of usingrelativel-y large nails^,'f such` as spikes. Small'n'ails m'aybereadily ydriven into the"building andpainted'over, v

leaving no scars-'or/ugly marks on lthe build` r 1. j` ing, Whereas if `spikes were used .they would f .have to 'be Withdrawn', thus marring fthe-f exterior of the buildingf1-Other` scaffold fbracketsknownto me have only .two notches v .y or nail-engag1ngapertures and 'no support at the bottom of the bracket. Hence 'theyrequ-ire' very large and unsi'ghtlyvnails to supe port them, tooflarge to drive entirely in, and

which' leave-ugly placesv when vremoved. .l

tively large nails cannot Vbe kused in repair" bottom .which action will at the Sametime bring 'the upper ends of the ybraclrettoward.

veach other .and the' entire,bracketwill'liftl l .fj i i oil" ofits supportingnails. )Itis'obviousthat Y "the supporting members of vthe 'bracket' and' thevsupporting arms maybe adjustable tol," ,l lward or `from eachotherto suit 'any desired situation orto engage'fstudding whichiis spaced apart differentdistances.1l

' While yIado not wish to bev limited'i'tO particular material. `forthe bracket," it is fob-"130.," f

` porting arms and board-engag vious that it may be made of wood or of various shapes ot metal bars, but preferably the braclret is made of a combination of metallic angle irons and T-iions. VPreferably the locking devices 38 and the locking member 29 are made of malleable iron or steel. ,lt will be seen that the bracket has three points or support, that it has a wide range of adjustability, and that it may be used either' on the walls of buildings or on the roofs thereoland in a large number of other situations.

l/Vhile l have illustrated a construction which has been found particularly advantageous in practice, l do not wish to be lini it'ed thereto, as it is obvious that many changes might be made in the details of this construction and arrangement of parts without departing Afrom the spirit ot the inventlOIl.: p i l I claim:-

l. A scaffold bracket comprising a pair of ,f'ertically disposcdinembcrs angular in cross section, the` upper` ends ot said members being disposed in a parallel 4relation and the lower portionsot thev members extending convergently downward, the' upper ends ot said membersbeing formed with l engagingslots and the lower ends with nail engaging notches, arms angular in cross section having downwardly extending` flanges looseylypivote'd to the flanges at the upper ends or saidfsupporting members, a brace in cross section and having a flange disposed between the lower ends ol the flanges of the supporting members :and loosely p-ivoted thereto. a lockingmemberI having an angular slot to receive said brace, said locking member when turned at right angles to the brace `beingshift-able therealong but when turned to less than a right angle to the brace binding thereon, said locking member being biliurcated` at its upper end, and a boltvpassing through the biurcated end or the lock-` l ing member and loosely through the v ertically i extending vflanges at the adjacent ends of l said arms.

2. ln a scafloldbraclret, horizontal sup members slidahle upon the respective arms when in position at right angles thereto but b'nd upon the arms when shitted to a position at less than right angles thereto, each or said .board-engaging members having an upwardly projecting portion aboveithe arms, said projecting portion boing formed on both laces with outwardly bulgcd board-engaging portions spaced `from the upper tace of the v their lower ends andradjustable into or out of greater or less divergence, the upper ends i'ofrthesections having upwardly and inwardly extending nail engaging slots and the lower convergent ends of the sections having upwardly `extending nail engaging slots. i Y y 4. ln a scaffold bracket, an outwardly and upwardly extending brace, a horizon-'- tally extending board supporting arm, lock` ing means between the brace and arm comprising a member having' a slot to snugly receive said brace and slidable valong the brace when the member is approximately vat right angles thereto butfbinding upon 5. A scallold bracket comprising ka pair ol" vertically disposed supporting members having nail engaging slots, arms at their inner ends resting upon the upper ends of the supporting members, bolts passing through the adjacent ends of the support-i members and arms and loosely pivoting the arms to the supporting members, a

brace pivotally connected to the lower ends ol the supporting members, a locking mcm-L ber slidingly engaging the brace and adapted to be locked thereon in adJusted position, the locking member being biifurcated` at its upper end and formed with a pair of heads, and a bolt passing through said heads and through the outer ends or the arms, the arms at all times and in all an-k gular relations resting` upon the upper ends of the supporting members and being en` tirely supported thereby and the outer ends oi the arms in all relative positions of the brace and arms resting upon thelacesl of saidheads and being entirely supported thereby.

.6; A scadold bracket comprising a pair oit' vertically disposed members, angularl'in cross section to pro-vide a base web andan outwardly projecting flange, the upper ends of said members being disposed in approximately parallel relations and the lowerfportions of the members extending convergently downward, a pin loosely connecting the lower endsof said members lor movement into or out of more or less divergent relation, the upper ends of the members being formed with nail engaging' notches,

arms angular in cross section to provide a downwardly extending flange and alaterally extending flange, the laterally extending flanges of the arms resting at all times upon the upper ends of the outwardly projecting flanges of the supporting members. pins passing loosely through the flanges of the supportingmembers and loosely through the downwardly extending flanges of the arms and swingingly connecting the arms to the supporting members, a brace swing ingly connected to the lower ends of the supporting members and normally eXtending upward andoutward, a locking member slidably engaged with the brace and adapted yto be locked in adjusted `position upon the brace, the upper end of lthe locking member being bifurcated and formed with two peripherally rounded-heads embracing the depending angesvof the arms, the depending flanges of the arms being formed with longitudinally extendingslots, and a bolt passingthrough said heads and through the slots in the arms,` the laterally projecting flanges of the arms resting at all times and in all positions upon the peripherally roundedl heads `whereby to relieve` strain upon the bolt. t

7. A scaffold bracket comprising a pair of vertically disposed, upwardly divergent members, angular in cross section, and having nail engaging slots, supporting arms pivotally connected to the upper ends of the supporting members, a brace T-shaped in cross section having its lower end dis'- posed lbetween the lower ends of the .supporting members and swingingly conne/:ted thereto, andl locking means pivotally connected' to the outer ends of the arms and adjustably engaging saidv brace, the lower ends of those flanges of said members which engage on each side ofthe me'diallweb of' i the T'Shaped brace :being curved tangen- 8. A, scaffold bracket"comprising a pair tially to this medial web.

of vertically disposed,v upwardly `divergent members having upwardly and' inwardly extending nail slots, said supportingV memv 4o .j

bers being angularin cross section to provide laterallyy projecting flanges and outo'utwardin opposite directions, the lower ends of the-,laterally projecting'jflanges .hav- 'j Ving nail engaging notches, a brace T-shaped 1n Vcross section andhavingits lower end 'disposed between `then-downwardly project- `having its'medial web pivotally connected i with saidvlangeswhereby said supporting ing flanges ofthe'supporting members and members are swingingly connected to each other and to the brace for movementtoward and away from eachother, supporting arms pivotally lconnected to the outer ends of the arms and adjustably engaging y said mem bers.4

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiixmy signature.

JAY yBQ r.y sHowALTER.

y l pivotally connected to the upper ends of* i f the supporting members, and-lockingpmeans' 

